Jacques Denis Antoine facts for kids

Jacques Denis Antoine, painted by Louis Rolland Trinquesse (1794)

Hôtel des Monnaies, also known as the Paris Mint

Château du Buisson de May in Upper Normandy

Jacques Denis Antoine (born August 6, 1733, in Paris – died August 24, 1801) was a famous French architect. His most well-known building is the Hôtel des Monnaies in Paris. This building is also called the Paris Mint, and it's where French money was made. Because of this amazing work, he became a member of the Académie royale d'architecture in 1776. He also designed beautiful private homes, like the Château of Buisson de May [fr] in Normandy, built between 1781 and 1783. Most of his buildings are in the Neoclassical style, which means they look like ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

Jacques Denis Antoine's Life Story

Jacques Denis Antoine grew up as the son of a carpenter. He studied with an architect and then worked as a mason, building things with bricks and stone.

Starting His Career

In 1760, he became a contractor, which means he managed building projects. Just three years later, he started creating his own architectural designs. In 1765, two other famous architects, Boullée and Chefdeville, hired him. Their big project was to build the new Hôtel des Monnaies.

Building the Paris Mint

After a lot of planning and even changing the building's location, the first stone for the Mint was laid in 1771. The building was finished with all its decorations by 1775. Antoine managed this huge project very well and finished it quickly. Because of his success, he was invited to join the Académie Royale d'Architecture, a very important group of architects. He even got to live in an apartment on the second floor of the Mint until he passed away.

Other Important Projects

In 1776, a fire damaged the Palace of Justice in Paris. Antoine helped rebuild parts of it, including the record offices and courtrooms. The next year, he traveled to Italy, visiting places like Piedmont, Lombardy, and Venice. His friend, the architect Charles De Wailly, joined him for part of this trip.

Antoine also had ideas for making cities better. He designed plans for new buildings, like a church similar to the famous Pantheon in Rome. He also proposed new looks for the buildings around Place Dauphine in Paris. One of his big ideas was to connect the Louvre museum with the Tuileries gardens. He also designed several hospital buildings, including the Hôpital de la Charité and a nursing home for priests in 1781.

Later Years and Challenges

In 1787, he took over from Claude-Nicolas Ledoux as the Director of the Gates of Paris. Even though he tried to stay out of politics during the French Revolution, he was briefly held in the Prison de la Force in 1793. He was accused of something he didn't do, but he was able to prove his innocence and was released. After this, he retired to his property in Touraine.

Near the end of his life, in 1799, he was chosen to be a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, another important group for artists and architects. He passed away two years later and was buried in the Cimetière de Saint-Sulpice [fr] in Vaugirard.

Notable Works by Jacques Denis Antoine

Here are some of the buildings and projects Jacques Denis Antoine worked on:

See also

In Spanish: Jacques-Denis Antoine para niños